Tube gauge safety device for high pressure tanks



1944 J. HQ RDDGER S TUBE GAUGE SAFETY DEVICE FOR HIGH PRESSURE TANKS Filed Dec. 20, 1941 QSheetS-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J. H. RODGERS AT NEY Oct; 31, 1944. Y

J. H. RODGERS TUBE GAUGE SAFETY DEVICE FOR HIGH PRESSURE TANKS Filed Dec. 20, 1941 KSheets-Sheet 2 IHHIHI INVENTOR J. H. RODGER BY W a AT RNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1944 TUBE GAUGE SAFETY DEVICE FOR HIGH PRESSURE TANKS- James H. Rodgers, Oklahoma, City, Okla, assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a

tion of Delawar corpora- Application December 20, 1941, Serial No. 423 ,8 10

4 Claims.

This invention pertains to a safety device for application to slip-tube outage gauges, as are used on high pressure liquid tank cars and storage vessels.

In recent years the petroleum industry.

in liquid form, under high pressures, by means of specially constructed railroad tank" cars.

In order to determine, when necessary, the

by means of tubes, at the same time losing control of its upward progress, a serious and even fatal accident is likely to result.

The principal qui-ring the possession of great physical strength by the operator.

Another object is to provide hold-down means for slip tubes of a simple and serviceable nature;

tank equipment.

Another object is to provide resiliently urged friction hold-down means in which the friction may be relieved by a force applied in a straight line.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading. the following specification and claims and studying the accompanying drawings. 7

l'nthe drawings, Figure 1 is. a fragmentary vertical section of a high pressure tank car, in which my invention and other necessary valves and accessories appear in outline. Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of my invention and other parts closely related thereto. Like parts are remounted so as to be capable of rotation in a horizontal plane. -A horizontal edge of the arm 8 may serve as a reference pointer in determination of liquid level from the Upon arrival of the car at its destination, the chain 9 is unfastened, the gauge housing 5 is removed, and the hold-down device 8 is swung aside so as topermit raising of the gauge tube. At this point, my safety device indicated generally in Figure 1 by the numeral l0 becomes effective. Other valves necessary to the use, maintenance and protection of a typical tank car are shown within the dome housing l--A, but are not referenced numerally, since they are not part of the the scope and spirit of my invention to provide an inserted bushing of some soft metal or composition in the tube-engaging hole, so as to minimize wear and eventual obliteration of the calibration markings on the outside of the gauge tube.

subject of this application. A steadying guide tube IOA may be provided similar in all respects patent to Frazier 1,827,574:

to guide tube 85 of U. S. mentioned above, but this guide tube IDA is no part of my invention. Obviously guide tube [0A is perforated near its top so the liquid level 2 will always be at substantially the same level inside the tube IDA as outside it.

Referring specifically to Figure 2, the numeral H indicates a restraining member which is always in an approximately horizontal position, but nevertheless, is pivotally mounted on the vertical stanchion l2 by means of pin l3 and slot 14. This pivoted mounting permits angular movement in a vertical plane. A hole is provided at l5 having a free sliding fit around the gauge rod 3 when the restraining member is in a horizontal position. The spring l6, however, normally urges member I l away from the horizontal position, resulting in the introduction of friction and binding between the gauge tube and the restraining member. The extended end of the member serves as a handle or grip.

In operation, the restraining member, being urged by the spring so as to misalign the hole with respect to the gauge tube, causes the tube to bind in the hole and prevents upward movement of the tube. When it is desired to raise the 1 tube, it may be released by pressing downward on the extended end of the restraining member. If the gauge tube tends to eject rapidly from the tank, its progress may be either retarded or checked completely by partially or completely releasing downward pressure on the restraining lever handle. When released, the force transmitted by friction between the gauge tube and the restraining bar acts in the same direction as the spring, thus promoting positive engagement of the tube in the control device. a

The particular form of the safety device shown in Figure 1 is a practical one, but it is not my intent to limit the scope of my invention to that one arrangement. While a compression spring is shown in Figure l, a tension spring properly located would do as well. The fulcrum could be differently arranged, so as to require an upward force on the handle to release the tube rather than a downward one. It would also be within With my safety device properly attached to a slip tube gauge device, whether it be on a tank car or a stationary tank, handlers of this equipment need not fear to release the shipping holddown, as my safety device will positively prevent immediate and forceful ejection of the gauge tube until such time as the operator desires. In the case of stationary tanks, at least, the holddown lock would not be required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a slip tube type gauge device for pressure tanks, a support, a lever pivoted to said support having an opening formed therein, a tube gauge loosely received in said opening at one end, the opposite end thereof extending into said tank, and means urging the lever into angular frictional engagement with the tube gauge, thereby locking the same against unrestrained vertical movement.

2. In a slip tube type gauge device for pressure tanks, a lever having an opening formed in one end thereof, the opposite end being held against upward movement relative to said tank, a tube gauge extending into the tank and loosely received in the opening defined in said lever and resilient means urging the lever into misalignment with respect to said tube, thereby locking the same against unrestrained vertical movement.

3. In a gauging device for tanks, a tube gauge extending into said tank through a wall thereof and mounted for movement relative thereto, a pivoted locking jaw having an opening formed therein for the reception of said tube gauge, said tube loosely engaging the locking jaw through said opening, the locking jaw being held against upward movement relative to the tank and adapted to be forced into frictional engagement with the tube gauge in response to axial movement thereof.

4. In a gauging device for pressure tanks including a tube gauge extending into said tank through a wall thereof and subjected to internal tank pressure, a locking jaw mounted on said tank for angular movement relative to the tube gauge and having an opening formed therein for the reception of said tube gauge, said tube gauge loosely fitting said opening thereby allowing angular movement of the locking jaw relative to the tube gauge and means forcing said locking jaw into frictional engagement with the tube gauge.

JAMES H. RODGERS. 

